Swiss chocolate consumption fades amid pandemic

ZURICH – Swiss chocolate makers were perhaps hoping for a sweet spot as people turned to comfort food during the pandemic, but instead face devastating 2020 figures showing consumption in Switzerland is melting to a low of 40 years.

Chocosuisse, the national federation of Swiss chocolatiers, this week painted a bleak picture of the impact that the Covid-19 crisis had had on the industry, with production, exports and even consumption falling.

And Lindt and Sprungli, one of the rich Alpine nation’s most famous chocolate makers, released their annual results on Tuesday detailing a nearly 11 percent drop in revenue in 2020, to 4 billion Swiss francs (4.4 billion Swiss francs). dollars, 3,600 million euros).

Amid lockdowns and an economic crisis fueled by a pandemic last year, it may not be surprising that Swiss chocolate makers as a whole have seen their production drop, down 10 percent compared to 2019, to 180,000 tonnes, according to Chocosuisse.

And exports, which account for nearly 70 percent of Swiss chocolate makers’ revenue, fell more than that, dropping 11.5 percent in 2020, to 126,000 tonnes.

Perhaps more surprising is that the country, known for its love of high-quality cocoa products, where people devour more chocolate per capita than anywhere else in the world, also saw a drop in consumption.

LOWEST SINCE 1982

In fact, annual consumption fell below the symbolic threshold of 10 kilograms (22 pounds) per person, to 9.9 kilograms, the lowest level since 1982.

An important factor in the drop, Chocosuisse boss Urs Furrer told AFP, was the sharp drop in foreign tourists, which tend to tip the balance of consumption.

Per capita consumption of chocolate in a country is calculated by dividing the volumes sold by the number of inhabitants, leading to inflated figures in Switzerland, where chocolate treats are a favorite souvenir.

“It would be impossible to calculate the exact consumption of residents, because in stores, sellers do not know if their customer lives in Switzerland or is a tourist,” said Furrer.

But the absence of tourists isn’t the whole explanation for last year’s decline.

In Switzerland, as elsewhere, the health crisis and accompanying restrictions, including forced telework, has had a clear impact on consumer habits.

“Consumption also fell in areas that are often crowded with pedestrians, such as train stations and city centers,” Furrer said, noting that chocolate was often an impulse purchase by people on the go.

Physical distancing requirements have also taken their toll on social occasions when a box of chocolates can be expected to be delivered.

“The sale of gift boxes of chocolates has also declined,” said Furrer.

However, at the same time, the sale of raw products such as the chocolate dough commonly used by chocolatiers, bakeries and pastry shops increased last year as more hobbyists turned to making their own sweets at home.

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